Spiritual Beings on a Human Journey

14 June, 2015

Ramadan is coinciding with the summer equinox, meaning we’d
be fasting during the longest days of the year (in the Northern Hemisphere). I've taken this opportunity to collate some dietary advices that will make those fasts easier for us and help us achieve
the health benefits of fasting, inshaAllah.
Fasting can be very good for our health if done correctly. So, let’s do it
right.

[1] Have two meals a
day & don’t skip Suhoor

With the night being so short, some people develop the habit
of having just a single meal when breaking fast. That is wrong! Have at least
two meals a day – the pre-dawn meal (Suhoor)
and a meal at dusk (Iftar).[Source: NHS]

[2] Balanced Diet

Dr Razeen Mahroof , an anaesthetist from Oxford, says your
food intake should be simple and not differ too much from your normal diet. It
should contain foods from all the major food groups:

Suhoor, the
pre-dawn meal, should be a wholesome, moderate meal that is filling and
provides enough energy for many hours.

“Suhoor should be light and include slow digesting food like
pitta bread, salad, cereal (especially oats) or toast, so that you have a
constant release of energy,” Dr Mahroof says.

Suhoor is probably more important than Iftar because it
helps you get through the day. Here are some great Suhoor ideas on Buzzfeed.
Do visit the link, it contains some very useful and yummy ideas. Like this:

[5] How to stay
hydrated:

It is important to maintain a frequent intake of water: A
good two litres or eight glasses of fluids a day will suffice, and it can be
broken down like this:

Two glasses at iftar

Four glasses in between iftar and suhoor- not more
than one glass per hour

Two glasses at suhoor

Keep in mind that caffeinated drinks such as coffee or black
tea do not count and it would be best to avoid these diuretic drinks all
together. Instead, herbal teas make a great alternative to water and may aid
your digestion.

If you're looking to continue working out during Ramadan
then you're going to have to adapt the workouts you're used to doing. For
muscle retention you'll probably want to limit your workouts to 2/3 times a
week and keep them on the shorter side (within 30/45mins). Try to focus on the
compound exercises, lifting maybe 80% of your maximum and reduce volume (reduce
the number of reps).

Given the times we have to fast in the UK, you might
consider working out after breaking your fast but might need to find a gym that
opens late. See this link
for an example of Ramadan workout time and exercises.

Ramadan shouldn't be all about working out, try to let the
gym fall into the background. By limiting the number of workouts and their
length you should have time to focus on other things during this holy month.

Ramadan can be an excellent opportunity to leave those
unhealthy habits that you’ve been struggling with. If you’d been looking at
getting into shape Ramadan might be an excellent opportunity. If you want to
quit smoking, again Ramadan is an excellent opportunity. Ramadan also helps in fighting
depression and stress.

[9] Consult your GP
if you need to

It is really important that if you have a medical condition,
you see your GP before Ramadan starts to discuss treatment options that do not
interfere with your fast.